Pa Season opener April 26th!

[swpatrkyhunter]

Hello all fellow chasers of the elusive Wild Turkey!  I just wanted to take this moment to wish everyone good luck this Spring season. April 26th is opening day here in Pa. As the count down gets closer I find myself checking and rechecking my equipment daily to make sure I got everything I need and Nothing I don't. To say I am excited is a major understatement. I'm sure many or most of you out there know what I am talking about. Your alarm goes off in the wee hours of the morning. You get up and make your way to the coffee pot and look out the widow as you take your first sip. Then you go back to your bedroom, coffee in hand, and get dressed in your hunting attire. By the time you put your boots on your moving at a quicker pace. Making one last mental list in your head of what you need and checking to make sure you have everything, You finally head out the door to load up your vehicle. You have exchanged your coffee cup for a travel mug, sipping as you drive along. You listen to the radio to hear about any weather changes in your area. You get to your honey hole and shut off your engine. You sit for a moment with the window down listening intently for sounds of roosted birds. The air is cool and crisp. Taking one last sip of coffee you roll up your window and open the door. After you have gathered all your gear and double check once again that you did not forget anything you Slowly close your door quietly as possible. Flashlight in hand, you make your way to the spot you picked out after intensive scouting. You stop midway and hit your owl call to make sure you don't slip in to close. A tom roars back from his perch high in the trees. Satisfied you move along and get to your spot. After settling in you sit and wait. As daylight slowly creeps over the ridge tops you sit and listen to the serenade of the woods. Slowly getting loader almost as if someone was turning it up with a volume knob. It is the first day of Spring Gobbler. How beautiful is that?

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

Well how did you make out this weekend?

[swpatrkyhunter]

Well.... No luck. My hunting buddy and I went to to area we had been scouting for the past couple months only to find it overrun with guys who seemed to think they were at a calling contest where everyone did their best to out call the next guy..... It was ugly. So. The birds we had been watching all that time clamed up and went deep into the woods. But these things will happen. Usually we hunt on privite land but the birds were so plentiful and held some large toms. Untill it becomes less crowded we will hunt the privite land we know won't have a calling contest.LOL. How did things go for you this weekend ridge runner?

[Pa.longbeard]

Hi sw pa, I also live and hunt in sw. pa. opening day where we hunt on private land was action packed. It started off at 6:45 with a hen coming in to out decoy set, 10 mins. later 3 gobblers showed up 2 jakes came in but the longbeard stayed 100 yards out and would not come in they all eventually lost intrest and wondered off gobbling. An hour and half later we were on the move. Set up on a wooded hill side and hit them with the crow call. 2 gobbles and 10 mins. later 2 more jakes came in, we let them pass also. Moved again several times with no luck. Stopped at a freshly plowed field at around 10:45 set and called answered by a gobbler close! While we were working him in 2 more gobblers sounded off to our right. The first gobbler shut up and never called again while the other 2 gobbled and came in fast, they cleared a small rise 15 yards from us only to see you guessed it 2 more jakes! Unreal the attack of the jakes! All told we saw 8 gobblers, 6 jakes, 2 longbeards and about 6 hens. What a great opening day, it don't get no better than the day we had. Good luck and keep us posted on your season. Off to Centre co. this Saturday for some turkey hunting and trout fishing.
JD

[sashultz]

I moved here to Kansas 3 years ago and although I like these Kansas birds I really miss the Pa woods. Hope you did good. Let us know here.

[MAK]

Lot's of talking in my neck of South Central PA woods too. Including one loud mouth that hung up twice on me; Can't get out this weekend, but the following, if he's still there, we'll try it again!
 
Good luck guys, hunt hard and hunt safe!   

[swpatrkyhunter]

I am overwhelmed at the response from fellow Pa hunters. before season is over maybe all of us could hunt together once. No luck so far. Had alot of loud action yesterday. Slipped in behind my parents place before sunrise. Got set up. And when the sun came up I was greeted to a serenade from three different locations. Gobblers from three directions were coming my way till a mama boss hen stopped the parade. LOL. I was soaked and cold and upstaged by a peeved hen. Still worth it though. I hunt and live in Fayette county. Good luck guys. Keep me posted to how your hunts are going.